Current-collector.



PATENTED! MAY 4, 196?,

L 1U T R A W E T. S R & m 3 m 00 5 00 m N.

CURRENT COLLECTOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1906.

. Atty.

UNITED STATES,

PA T oFFIoE.

SAMUEL B. TEWART, JR;,- or scriENEorA n-NEW YORK, AssIGNoR' TO eE R n LEoTnrc COMPANY, AQOBPORATION or NEW YORK;

I Jr. ,,a' 'citi'z en of the United States, residing at c Schenectady, countyof Schenectady, State f5 j o :New York, have invented certain new and "useful-1m rovements in Gurrent Collectors,

" I of which t e following is aspecification.

' i;-,This.invention relates to electricrailways jand especiall to the apparatus mounted on to an electric railway vehicle, for collecting' cur- "i"ents from an; overload conductor or a third frail. A 'PLtis sometirnesfound desirable or neces- *sary to -;o fperate ,one portion of a railway by r 5111168118 of current supplied by athi'rd rail f' arranged :neanthe, roadbed, and at another portion, ,as atcrossings and similar placeswhere the thirdrail would obstruct the pas sage across the We)? and be unsafe, by ourizorent supplied bya trolley wire or overhead conductor. The moving 'cordingly be equipped Wlthl collecting means jfo'r co-operating with both forms of supply I conductors, .H Meansmust be provided for re .125 tracting' the collecting devices, so that the idle one may rest outof tlgway and be prevented from striking any structures erected adj a- "cent its path of travel.

, The object of my invention is to provide a go. simple-and efiicient means for automatically retracting the current collector at desired points alongthe line of traveL- For the sake of convenience, I have illustrated in the acoompanyin drawing, my in vention appliedto an over oad collector but it is equally applicable to a contactshoe of a third rail system. 1 V

I have chosen to show two current collecy tors and two-engineers valves, such as are at present being introduced in heavy service,- though it is evident that but one may be used if desired; As both arealike, a description of one will suffice, l i The current collector is properly of the lazy-tongs variety. The shoe 1 slidesin coiltact .with the overhead conductor 2 which is provided with a depressed portion 3 Where it is desired to retract the collector.

is pivoted to the upper members 4' of two toggles, whose lower members 5 are pivoted on a pedestal'fi mounted on the roof of the electric vehicle. The adjacent ends of the lower,

' members 5 are provided with sector gears 5 c Specification of Letters, Patent. v Applicationfile d August 1, 190a. sa'iama'azaees,

vehicle must fac 1 The shoe Patented May 14,1907.

i which intermesh so that the members move in unison. The lower ends of the upper mem'bers extend beyond their. pivots and strong, springs 7 are attached thereto and to the lower members 5 at or near their pivots. These is rings urge the, shoe upwardly against, t e conductor, and in order to insure good electrical connection between the shoe 1 andthe pedestal 6, while allowing the shoe to move freely up and down, flexible leads 8 are connected to the shoe and pedestal.

' 'The pedestal is hollowand'contains a cylinder 9 in which fits a iston 10 connected by a piston rod 11 wit stands-above the lugs 13 on the lower members' of the toggles. A strong'helical spring His com ressed between the top of the pedestal an "the piston and urges the latter downward with sufficient force to overcome the ward thrust of the sprln'gs 7, and pull the s cc away from the conductor. The lower end of the pedestal is closed as by a screw plug 15 so that a chamber is formed under the piston to which compressed air or other pressure fluid can be admitted through a pipe 16. The area of thepiston is sufficient to enable the air to lift it against the tension ofthe spring, and hold theyoke out of engagement with the lugs 13. 1 7

,The' air is stored in a suitable reservoir and the pressure is maintained by a suitable air compressor (notshown). The admission of air to the cylinder in which the piston works,

audits exhaust'therefrom, are controlled by an engineers valve or valves 17 located at some point or points on the vehicle, convenient to the driver. Inasmuch as electric vehicles are usually arrangedto' run either end foremost, there is a valve located at each end of the vehicle, andeach valve simultaneously controls both current'oollecting devices in case more than one isused.

' The engineer's valves 17 each comprises. a

cylinder :18 in which is a piston 19 provided with a hand plunger 20 and connected to a slide valve 21 which operates to open and close connections between exhaust port 22 and the delivery port 23. The supply port 24: on the end of the valve chamber opposite the piston, is connected with a pipe 25 which leads to the source of compressed air, and at' the-other end of the chamber is a vent port 26 which is connected through thejpipe v27 a yoke 12' which with a pilot valve 28.' The pilot valve 28 is supported at one side of the collector pedestal 6, and comprises a simple valve box 29 having a horizontally movable valve therein normally held against the'seat about a vent port 31 by a spring 32 compressed between- .by a shoulder 36 carried by one of the lower toggle arms 5 when the shoe 1 is moved below itsnormal working position by the depressed portion 3 of the conductor.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The compressed air supplied to/the en: gineers valve 17 by pipe 25 fills the entire space within the cylinder 18 and on bothsides of the piston 19, the latter being purposely left un'packedso that the air may leak thereby, and upon the opening of'the pilot valve 28 the air to the right of the piston 19 escapes through the vent port 26 and pipe 27,

.unbalancing the piston and allowing it to move to theiright by the air pressure at the left side thereof and carrying with it the slide valve 21 into position to connect the exhaust port 22 with the delivery port "-23 and per- .mitting the release of the air inthe collector pedestal. This allows the spring 14 to force the yoke '12down-and with it thevtoggle levers 4, 5 and collector shoe 1. When it is de-' sired to'raisethe collector shoevl, the hand plunger 20 is drawn to the left and carries with it the piston 19 and slide valve 21 into,

the position indicated in the drawing, to close the exhaust port 22 and open the delivery port 23 to the air'supplied by pipe 25 from the source of compressed air and lifts the yoke 12 from engagement with the toggle-levers, allowing the latter ,to move upwardly under the tensions of springs 7.

In order to control both current collectors from a single-engineers valve 17-, the vent pipes 27 and thedelivery pipes of both collectors are connected as indicated, and to ing through the other, after the slide valve 21.

prevent the air in one valve 17 from exhaustin the former has'been moved into closedposition, a-double check valve 37\is arranged in the delivery pipes 16.

do notdesire to restrict myself to the particular form of arrangement of parts herein shown and described, since it is apparent that they may be changed and modified without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is,

1-. The combination with a suspended con- (luctor and acurrent collector for electric vehicles, of a retractor for the collector, means controlled by the movement of the collector out of its normal working position for actuating said retractor, and means disposed at desired intervals upon said conductor for moving said collector out of its working position. 2. The combination with a suspended con (luctor and a current collector for electric vehicles, of a spring'pressed retractor for said collector, means for holding said retractor in inoperative position, means controlled by the movement of the collector out of normal Working position for releasing said holding means, and means disposed at desired intervals upon said conductors for moving said collector out of its working position.- x

3. The combination with a suspended conductor and a current collector for electric vehicles, of a spring pressed retraetor for said collector, pneumatic means for holding said retract'or in inoperative position, a pilot valve for said pneumatic means actuated by the movement of the collector out of its normal working position and means disposed at desired intervals upon said conductor. for moving said collector out of its working position. v

4. The combination with a current collector of a retractor therefor, a fluid pressuresystem for actuating said reiractor, an engineers valve for controlling said fluid pressure,'and a pilot valve actuated by the abnormal movement of said collector and automatically controlling the said enginrcrs valve.

In witness whereof, I hav'e hereuntc sei my hand this 3181. day ot Jul 1 $106.

' SAMUEL B. STlClYART. (in. Witnesses:

' BENJAMIX B; IIL'LL,

GRACE M. Hsmuoix. 

